Condenser tube inspections are conducted with the unit online with the leaking condenser tube bundle isolated and drained for occupancy. When the hotwell condensate is contaminated due to cooling water intrusion from a condenser tube failure, it is imperative the source of the leakage is identified immediately. Condenser cooling water contains much greater concentrations of dissolved materials than boiler condensate meaning even small condenser tube leaks can cause gross contamination of the steam-generating system.
Helium Leak Detection Services and Condenser Tube Leakage
When a condenser tube leak is experienced, the pure condensate becomes contaminated and performance can plummet while trying to locate the source of condenser leakage. This is where American Efficiency Services comes in with our condenser tube services – helium leak detection. AES uses advanced helium leak detection technology to quickly locate condenser tube leaks. Our experienced leak detection teams work efficiently to eliminate condensate contamination and improve performance to get your plant operating at full power.
Continue reading to learn more about our condenser tube leak detection process. AES would enjoy hearing from you as well! Give us a call or fill out our online Estimate Request Form for condenser tube inspection and our team will be in touch soon. American Efficiency Services condenser services are the best at identifying tube leaks.
Why Should You Use Helium Leak Detection to Identify Condenser Tube Leaks?
American Efficiency Services’ Helium Mass Spectrometry Leak Detection
Once the tube bundle is isolated from service, what was a water leak has, essentially, been turned into a condenser air leak. Using various-sized plenums and a systematic approach, helium is applied to the condenser tube bundle checking every tube, tube-to-tube sheet joint, and plug.
Why helium as a tracer gas? When combined with the experience of our expert Leak Detection Services Teams, helium, due to its minute molecular size, is the most efficient and cost-effective tracer gas to precisely locate condenser tube leaks. Only the leaking tubes are plugged.
When helium is applied to a leaking area, the helium will be drawn into the steam space through the leak. The helium entering the steam space is removed by the condenser’s air removal system. The helium mass spectrometer used by AES’ skilled tube leak technicians is located at the discharge of the air removal system. As the helium is ejected from the system, the helium mass spectrometer will register an indication. The leaking area is narrowed down with the use of a series of smaller plenums until a single condenser tube, tube-to-tube sheet joint, and/or plug that is leaking and contributing to the contamination is identified.
The leak(s) is recorded and at the completion of the inspection, all leaking tubes are plugged and a re-inspection is conducted to ensure all plugs have been sealed properly.
American Efficiency Services’ Commitment to Safety
AES crews are dedicated to safety, quality job performance, and responsible for obtaining and compiling comprehensive documentation to be turned over at job completion. Our reporting system is designed to transfer photographs, tube bundle diagrams marked to identify the exact location of the plugged tube(s), and unit data to our customers at the conclusion of the testing, providing accurate real-time, relevant information of the conditions encountered.
American Efficiency Services is the premier tube service company.
AES has seen other method of identifying leaks try and fail
Plastic, dimple plugs, shaving cream, ultrasonics, and smoke have all been used in the past to identify condenser tube leaks. While these methods have proved successful in identifying very large leaks, they are extremely time-consuming and unreliable when trying to locate small leaks.
As a result, non-leaking condenser tubes are plugged in a desperate effort to return a “leak free” unit to service. Even though condensers are designed to operate, on average, with ten percent of the tubes plugged, plugging additional tubes that may not be leaking prematurely reduces the efficiency of your condenser or heat exchanger.
Path to Operational Efficiency
Condenser tube cleaning is only one spoke of a quality condenser health plan. AES condenser descaling can keep your condenser efficient but we provide the condenser services for the life of your condenser. Those services include condenser leak detection services to identify your condenser tube leaks, condenser eddy current so you can understand the health of your condenser tubes, condenser repair (tube plugging) for when a tube fails, and condenser retubing for when the current condenser tubes have lived their complete useful life.
Partial Entry Condenser Tube Inspection
PROS
- Minimal breech of confined space
- Partial entry still treated as confined space
- Temporary plugs can be installed
- FME compliant
- 100% success rate since August 2014
CONS
- Not 100% guaranteed due to limited access as a result of the angle between the manway and leaking tubes
- May take multiple night shifts to identify leaking tube and install temporary plugs
- Permanent plugs must be installed during next outage